Driver, carpenter to die by hanging for armed robbery in Ondo

In Ondo State, a High Court has handed down a death sentence to a carpenter and a driver for armed robbery. Justice William Olamide convicted Lasisi Nureni and Akintan Adebayo on charges of conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery under Sections 6(b) and 1(2)(a) and (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act.

The court sentenced Nureni to death by hanging for armed robbery and seven years in prison for conspiracy, while Adebayo received the same sentence for armed robbery and seven years for conspiracy. Both defendants initially pleaded not guilty, but the prosecution relied on testimony from a fellow driver, Omojolowo Boluwaji, and a police investigation that traced one of the stolen mobile phones to Osun State.

Boluwaji recounted how the suspects demanded his new vehicle's keys, overpowered him, beat his wife, and stole his car, mobile phones, a laptop, jewelry, and cash. The police officer, Inspector Omotadowa Sunday, informed the court that Nureni was arrested in Imesi, Osun State, after tracking a stolen phone there. Nureni, who claimed he was a carpenter and had no history of armed robbery, denied involvement in the crime, stating he was from Ado-Ekiti.

Adebayo, who also denied conspiracy and insisted his name was Adeoye Adebayo, maintained his innocence, claiming a 2018 detention period without any connection to the robbery. Justice Olamide ruled that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt that both men knowingly participated in a plan to commit armed robbery, leading to their respective sentences.